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Heated car seats reduce fertility, German researchers warn
By Ernest Gill Sep 22, 2008, 3:08 GMT
Hamburg, Germany - Heated car seats reduce fertility in men, according to German researchers.
The researchers at the University of Giessen have discovered that just one hour of sitting in a heated car seat can cause a testicular temperature spike of up to 39.7 Celsius (or 103 Fahrenheit).
That is four or five degrees Celsius higher than the optimum temperature for healthy sperm production, which is around two degrees below the body's core temperature of 37 C (99 F), according to the findings reported in New Scientist magazine.
The German researchers attached heat sensors to the testicles of 30 healthy volunteers, who then sat on heated car seats for a total of 90 minutes.
After one hour, the test revealed the average testicular temperature to be 37.3 C (99.5 F), which is around two degrees above optimum for sperm production, while one test subject experienced a 60 minute flush of 39.7 C (103 F).
In terms of the rate of testicle warmth attributed to men who do not use heated car seat technology, the study revealed average scrotal temperature to be 36.7 C (98 F).
According to study leader, Andreas Jung and his university team, only a slight increase in testicle temperature - as shown by the research figures - is enough to have a potentially detrimental effect on healthy sperm production.
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